I’m new to D&D and trying to decide on a class for my first character. I’m particularly interested in either a Druid or Ranger, but I’m also wondering if there’s a class that’s generally better for beginners.
Do you think I should choose based on what I’m most interested in, or is there a class that’s easier to start with? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
The first thing to do is find a group. Some groups have restrictions on which classes and species are allowed, so don’t get too invested in those choices until you hear how they do things. Hopefully, the people in that group will be willing to help you make a character and answer your questions.
To answer the question, given those choices, go ranger. Druids are much more complicated.
The normal perception (it's even in the new Players Handbook) is that Druids are one of the more complicated classes to play, you've not only got to track your character and abilities but also have an understanding of the various animals you change into and how they play. It can be a bit overwhelming for a new player. At the other end the easiest to play are probably Fighters or Barbarians, they pretty much just do one thing and one thing only and once you know how to hit someone with a weapon the rest is smooth sailing.
Having said that I've always been of the opinion you should play whatever will give you the most fun and will really speak to you, especially for a new player. I've seen plenty of really enthusiastic newbies arrive at tables, get told "play this its easy" and then be thoroughly bored and never play again. If you want to be a Druid and turn into bears every session then play a Druid, just be aware it might take some extra work
Thank you for the warm welcome and the insight! I appreciate the breakdown of the different classes. It’s good to know that Druids can be a bit more complex, but I love the idea of transforming into animals.
I agree that it’s important to choose something that I’ll enjoy, so I’ll definitely think about what will be the most fun for me! If I have any more questions as I figure things out, I hope I can reach out again.
Edit: I was wondering if it’s possible to have a familiar or an animal companion during my journey, if my DM allows it. I think it would be really fun to have that kind of companionship in my adventures!
Druids are also full casters, so besides the animals, you need a deep dive into the spell system. Cunningsmile is right, you should play what you think is most fun, just druids have more subsystems they engage with, and do so with more depth than a ranger. But, for some people, that’s not a problem, only you know yourself how that will work for you. Again, find a group, the best way to learn D&D is to play it.
Edit: I was wondering if it’s possible to have a familiar or an animal companion during my journey, if my DM allows it. I think it would be really fun to have that kind of companionship in my adventures!
There's a spell called Find Familiar that allows you to summon a little pet to help you out, it's a Wizard spell but there's a feat named Magic Initiate that allows other classes to get it too. The 2024 Druid, and some of the older Druid subclasses, also get to summon a familiar as part of their class features. There's also the Ranger subclass Beast Master which is entirely built around a pet so plenty of options
Thanks for the clarification! I appreciate the insight into how Druids engage with spells and the extra depth involved. It sounds like a fun challenge, but I’ll definitely think about how comfortable I feel with all those mechanics.
I agree that finding a good group will really help with learning the game. I’m excited to jump in and see how it goes!
And if I decide to do a Ranger, I may decide to have some sort of animal with me.
Thanks for the info! I love the idea of having a familiar, and it’s great to know that there are options like the Find Familiar spell and the Beast Master Ranger subclass. I’ll definitely keep that in mind as I weigh my choices!
I’m definitely excited about exploring these options further. If I have more questions as I decide, I hope it’s okay to reach out!
Edit: I’m curious—what kinds of animals can I have as a companion for a Ranger and for a Druid? Are there specific limitations or options I should keep in mind for each class?
And if I decide to do a Ranger, I may decide to have some sort of animal with me.
Keep in mind that unless you take the Beastmaster subclass from the PHB or one other subclass from a secondary book, it’s up to the DM if you get some kind of animal companion tagging along, and in the “are they willing to make an exception/give an extra feature” sense. Not saying you can’t ask, just realize when ask for extra it’s entirely within a DM’s prerogative to say “no”.
Thanks for the heads-up! I appreciate the clarification about the DM’s discretion when it comes to animal companions. I’ll definitely keep that in mind when discussing options with my DM. It’s good to know that the Beastmaster subclass provides a more straightforward path for having an animal companion.
If I have more questions as I explore these options, I hope it’s alright to reach out again!
Both Druid and Ranger require tracking spells but Druid is a full caster and gets access to more spells as well as faster spell progression, so has to do more tracking.
Druids get the best method of transforming into animals but actually multiple classes are capable of doing so, just not as well as Druid. The spell Polymorph, which is a 4th level spell can be used to turn into some animals but using a 4th level spell slot, it's a bit more expensive than using wildshapes from the druid class. Bard, Druid, Wizard and Sorcerer get access to the Polymorph spell, as it's a 4th level spell, they all get access to it at level 7. Polymorph is a great spell for other reasons however and all 4 of these classes can benefit greatly from it.
Druid tracking beast forms is most important for Circle of the Moon druids, else wise the most basic forms can be found in Player's handbook or Free/Basic Rules. Druid in 2024 also gets Find Familiar at level 2.
Ranger is easier than Druid, as a personal experience, my group introduced a new player to the group and she choose a Circle of the Star Druid. The DM and another player helped her put her character together and with the complexity they forgot to help her set-up prepared spells. I had to point this out to the DM and the player that introduced her, since she was only casting a single spell. So remembering to prepare spells for Druid is important as Druid is primarily a spell caster. Ranger also relies on spells but their spell progression is slower and they have a good amount of damage dealing outside of spell casting.
Personally I prefer Druid over Ranger but I have played Druid more than Ranger.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! It’s really helpful to understand the differences in spellcasting and tracking for both classes. I appreciate the reminder about the importance of preparing spells for Druids, especially since it can be easy to overlook in the excitement of creating a character.
It’s great to know that multiple classes can use the Polymorph spell, too! Your experiences with both classes are really valuable as I weigh my options.
If I have more questions as I think this through, I hope it’s okay to ask again!
Edit: I just want to add that I’m definitely open to going either way with the classes. Both Druids and Rangers sound like they could offer a lot of fun and unique experiences, so I’m excited to see where my interest takes me!
I guess I'll do a Druid. But I do have a quick question—does the choice of race have any significant impact on playing a Druid or Ranger? I’m curious if certain races might synergize better with one class over the other, especially regarding abilities or features.
Edit: What are the most important things to think about with a Druid?
I guess I'll do a Druid. But I do have a quick question—does the choice of race have any significant impact on playing a Druid or Ranger? I’m curious if certain races might synergize better with one class over the other, especially regarding abilities or features.
Edit: What are the most important things to think about with a Druid?
Wisdom.
Make sure your either going with a good race/customization (5e) or background (2024) that provides as close as you can to a 17 (15+2) wisdom, 16 (15+1) Constitution, 14 Dexterity, 10 intelligence, and 8 strength and charisma. Mountain Dwarf, Eladrin, Pallid Elf, Fairy, Water Genasi, Githzeriel, Lotusden or Ghostwise Halfling, Variant Human, Loxodon, Owlin, Classic Saytr, Shadar-Kai, Default Simic Hybrid, Glaysa or Winged Variant Tiefling, Custom Origin Tortle and Default Origin Warforged (Wild Robot lol) are most of the good classic races. It all just depends on what you have access to. Keep in mind some stats can be customized on races. For 2024 rules, i would pick guide and either (High) Elf or Human.
Thanks for the suggestions! I appreciate the list of races that work well for Wisdom. I’m particularly interested in the High Elf and Satyr for their traits. Can you share more about why you think they’d be good choices for a starting Druid? Also, are there any specific backgrounds you recommend that complement those races?
For classic 5e 2014 rules either Hermit, Sage or Urban Bounty Hunter. These either give you bonuses to your wisdom abilities directly or can be switches to them. Ideally, if you have 2024 rules I’d still go with the Guide though.
Between the two, I would definitely go Saytr purely for its’ magic resistance.
High elf gives you access to more spells, but the only useful one is booming blade since it doesn’t rely on your intellect score that you want to be lower. This works best with the Circle of Spores subclass.
2014 backgrounds are mostly flavor, and barring the last few it’s really up in the air if their background features can actually be used in play; just pick whichever looks fun.
The 2024 PHB backgrounds have more clout on character design since your character creation ability bonuses and starting feat are tied to them as well. Fortunately, I suspect most tables are going to let people custom build ‘24 backgrounds, so it’s less about picking a specific background and more just boosting your main stats and picking the skills and feat you find interesting.
Thanks for the background suggestions! I appreciate the insights on how they can boost my Wisdom. I’m leaning toward the Satyr for the magic resistance—it sounds like a fun trait to have!
I’m still learning about subclasses, so I’m not too familiar with them yet. The Circle of Spores sounds intriguing, especially with its unique mechanics. What do you think makes it a strong choice for a Druid, especially for a Satyr? I’d love to hear more about how different subclasses play in practice!
Thanks for the clarification on backgrounds! It's good to know that the 2024 backgrounds have more impact on character design with the ability bonuses and feats. I appreciate the tip about picking skills and feats that align with my character's interests. I’ll definitely keep that in mind as I create my Satyr Druid! Do you have any favorite backgrounds or features that you've found particularly fun or useful in your games?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I’m new to D&D and trying to decide on a class for my first character. I’m particularly interested in either a Druid or Ranger, but I’m also wondering if there’s a class that’s generally better for beginners.
Do you think I should choose based on what I’m most interested in, or is there a class that’s easier to start with? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for your help!
The first thing to do is find a group. Some groups have restrictions on which classes and species are allowed, so don’t get too invested in those choices until you hear how they do things.
Hopefully, the people in that group will be willing to help you make a character and answer your questions.
To answer the question, given those choices, go ranger. Druids are much more complicated.
Hi, welcome to the hobby!
The normal perception (it's even in the new Players Handbook) is that Druids are one of the more complicated classes to play, you've not only got to track your character and abilities but also have an understanding of the various animals you change into and how they play. It can be a bit overwhelming for a new player. At the other end the easiest to play are probably Fighters or Barbarians, they pretty much just do one thing and one thing only and once you know how to hit someone with a weapon the rest is smooth sailing.
Having said that I've always been of the opinion you should play whatever will give you the most fun and will really speak to you, especially for a new player. I've seen plenty of really enthusiastic newbies arrive at tables, get told "play this its easy" and then be thoroughly bored and never play again. If you want to be a Druid and turn into bears every session then play a Druid, just be aware it might take some extra work
Thank you for the warm welcome and the insight! I appreciate the breakdown of the different classes. It’s good to know that Druids can be a bit more complex, but I love the idea of transforming into animals.
I agree that it’s important to choose something that I’ll enjoy, so I’ll definitely think about what will be the most fun for me! If I have any more questions as I figure things out, I hope I can reach out again.
Edit: I was wondering if it’s possible to have a familiar or an animal companion during my journey, if my DM allows it. I think it would be really fun to have that kind of companionship in my adventures!
Druids are also full casters, so besides the animals, you need a deep dive into the spell system.
Cunningsmile is right, you should play what you think is most fun, just druids have more subsystems they engage with, and do so with more depth than a ranger.
But, for some people, that’s not a problem, only you know yourself how that will work for you. Again, find a group, the best way to learn D&D is to play it.
There's a spell called Find Familiar that allows you to summon a little pet to help you out, it's a Wizard spell but there's a feat named Magic Initiate that allows other classes to get it too. The 2024 Druid, and some of the older Druid subclasses, also get to summon a familiar as part of their class features. There's also the Ranger subclass Beast Master which is entirely built around a pet so plenty of options
Thanks for the clarification! I appreciate the insight into how Druids engage with spells and the extra depth involved. It sounds like a fun challenge, but I’ll definitely think about how comfortable I feel with all those mechanics.
I agree that finding a good group will really help with learning the game. I’m excited to jump in and see how it goes!
And if I decide to do a Ranger, I may decide to have some sort of animal with me.
Thanks for the info! I love the idea of having a familiar, and it’s great to know that there are options like the Find Familiar spell and the Beast Master Ranger subclass. I’ll definitely keep that in mind as I weigh my choices!
I’m definitely excited about exploring these options further. If I have more questions as I decide, I hope it’s okay to reach out!
Edit: I’m curious—what kinds of animals can I have as a companion for a Ranger and for a Druid? Are there specific limitations or options I should keep in mind for each class?
Keep in mind that unless you take the Beastmaster subclass from the PHB or one other subclass from a secondary book, it’s up to the DM if you get some kind of animal companion tagging along, and in the “are they willing to make an exception/give an extra feature” sense. Not saying you can’t ask, just realize when ask for extra it’s entirely within a DM’s prerogative to say “no”.
Both Druid and Ranger require tracking spells but Druid is a full caster and gets access to more spells as well as faster spell progression, so has to do more tracking.
Druids get the best method of transforming into animals but actually multiple classes are capable of doing so, just not as well as Druid. The spell Polymorph, which is a 4th level spell can be used to turn into some animals but using a 4th level spell slot, it's a bit more expensive than using wildshapes from the druid class. Bard, Druid, Wizard and Sorcerer get access to the Polymorph spell, as it's a 4th level spell, they all get access to it at level 7. Polymorph is a great spell for other reasons however and all 4 of these classes can benefit greatly from it.
Druid tracking beast forms is most important for Circle of the Moon druids, else wise the most basic forms can be found in Player's handbook or Free/Basic Rules. Druid in 2024 also gets Find Familiar at level 2.
Ranger is easier than Druid, as a personal experience, my group introduced a new player to the group and she choose a Circle of the Star Druid. The DM and another player helped her put her character together and with the complexity they forgot to help her set-up prepared spells. I had to point this out to the DM and the player that introduced her, since she was only casting a single spell. So remembering to prepare spells for Druid is important as Druid is primarily a spell caster. Ranger also relies on spells but their spell progression is slower and they have a good amount of damage dealing outside of spell casting.
Personally I prefer Druid over Ranger but I have played Druid more than Ranger.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! It’s really helpful to understand the differences in spellcasting and tracking for both classes. I appreciate the reminder about the importance of preparing spells for Druids, especially since it can be easy to overlook in the excitement of creating a character.
It’s great to know that multiple classes can use the Polymorph spell, too! Your experiences with both classes are really valuable as I weigh my options.
If I have more questions as I think this through, I hope it’s okay to ask again!
Edit: I just want to add that I’m definitely open to going either way with the classes. Both Druids and Rangers sound like they could offer a lot of fun and unique experiences, so I’m excited to see where my interest takes me!
I guess I'll do a Druid. But I do have a quick question—does the choice of race have any significant impact on playing a Druid or Ranger? I’m curious if certain races might synergize better with one class over the other, especially regarding abilities or features.
Edit: What are the most important things to think about with a Druid?
Hey again! I have a thread in the Druid class forum where I’m asking about how animal companions work and if race affects anything. If you have any insights or can help out, I’d really appreciate it! Here’s the link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/class-forums/druid/210088-druid-animal-companions-and-race-considerations.
Thanks!
Wisdom.
Make sure your either going with a good race/customization (5e) or background (2024) that provides as close as you can to a 17 (15+2) wisdom, 16 (15+1) Constitution, 14 Dexterity, 10 intelligence, and 8 strength and charisma.
Mountain Dwarf, Eladrin, Pallid Elf, Fairy, Water Genasi, Githzeriel, Lotusden or Ghostwise Halfling, Variant Human, Loxodon, Owlin, Classic Saytr, Shadar-Kai, Default Simic Hybrid, Glaysa or Winged Variant Tiefling, Custom Origin Tortle and Default Origin Warforged (Wild Robot lol) are most of the good classic races. It all just depends on what you have access to. Keep in mind some stats can be customized on races. For 2024 rules, i would pick guide and either (High) Elf or Human.
Thanks for the suggestions! I appreciate the list of races that work well for Wisdom. I’m particularly interested in the High Elf and Satyr for their traits. Can you share more about why you think they’d be good choices for a starting Druid? Also, are there any specific backgrounds you recommend that complement those races?
For classic 5e 2014 rules either Hermit, Sage or Urban Bounty Hunter. These either give you bonuses to your wisdom abilities directly or can be switches to them. Ideally, if you have 2024 rules I’d still go with the Guide though.
Between the two, I would definitely go Saytr purely for its’ magic resistance.
High elf gives you access to more spells, but the only useful one is booming blade since it doesn’t rely on your intellect score that you want to be lower. This works best with the Circle of Spores subclass.
Have you thought about which subclass?
2014 backgrounds are mostly flavor, and barring the last few it’s really up in the air if their background features can actually be used in play; just pick whichever looks fun.
The 2024 PHB backgrounds have more clout on character design since your character creation ability bonuses and starting feat are tied to them as well. Fortunately, I suspect most tables are going to let people custom build ‘24 backgrounds, so it’s less about picking a specific background and more just boosting your main stats and picking the skills and feat you find interesting.
Thanks for the background suggestions! I appreciate the insights on how they can boost my Wisdom. I’m leaning toward the Satyr for the magic resistance—it sounds like a fun trait to have!
I’m still learning about subclasses, so I’m not too familiar with them yet. The Circle of Spores sounds intriguing, especially with its unique mechanics. What do you think makes it a strong choice for a Druid, especially for a Satyr? I’d love to hear more about how different subclasses play in practice!
Thanks for the clarification on backgrounds! It's good to know that the 2024 backgrounds have more impact on character design with the ability bonuses and feats. I appreciate the tip about picking skills and feats that align with my character's interests. I’ll definitely keep that in mind as I create my Satyr Druid! Do you have any favorite backgrounds or features that you've found particularly fun or useful in your games?